A Human Heart
by Katsuko1978
Summary: This is what might have happened after the end of the television series. YAOI and YURI warnings apply INCOMPLETE ON HOLD
1. Prologue

Title: A Human Heart  
Author: Ryoko 03  
Started: March 2001  
Status: Prologue/?  
  
Disclaimers: Oh dear God, please be kind. This is my first Outlaw Star fic   
ever, and I know it has to suck badly. As must be obvious, I lay no claim to   
either the anime or the characters. Besides, if I *did* own OLS, Gene wouldn't   
end up with Melfina in the end!! *thinks happy thoughts about all the lovely   
bishie bois in the series*  
  
Warnings: This is what might have happened after the end of the television   
series (the last two episodes of which I need to tape so I have angst fodder for   
my muse Karanya). A bit of angst, a little WAFF, and what has to be the   
strangest romance in the history of ficdom.  
  
Pairing: That would be telling!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
A Human Heart  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
//So quiet, so cold... I always end up alone, don't I?//  
  
Adrift in space, the Shangri-La was now a literal ghost ship. Over five months   
had passed since there was last a humanoid aboard the ship, at which time the   
manual override had been implemented. The Shangri-La's mainframe computer was   
completely off-lined...  
  
...but Harry MacDougall was still aware if everything happening around him.  
  
//Why did Ron activate the manual controls before he left? And why hasn't he   
returned yet? 'A couple of hours at most,' that's what he said... but it's been   
so long... and it's so lonely out here....//  
  
There were no answers coming, and there was no one to dispel to the loneliness.   
And the Shangri-La continued to run adrift.  
  
Dark.  
  
Quiet.  
  
And alone.  
  
  
o.w.a.r.i.p.r.o.l.o.g.u.e.  
  
(9:12 AM 3/25/01) 


	2. Chapter One

Title: A Human Heart  
Author: Ryoko 03  
Started: March 2001  
Status: Part 1/?  
  
Disclaimers and warnings posted in Part Prologue.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
A Human Heart  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
If there was a god, Gene Starwind was *quite* certain that the deity hated him.  
  
Over a year--a freakin' *year*!--had passed by since everything had gone down at   
the Galactic Leyline, without any fallout from either the pirates or Ron   
MacDougall. Then, five months ago, all hell broke loose.  
  
First of all, Ron MacDougall had, quite literally, appeared out of the woodwork   
and wanted to settle the score with Gene. Then the Kei pirates had reappeared,   
causing excessive damage to various spaceports and the like, which, of course,   
annoyed the hell out of Fred Luo (who, it seemed, owned a majority of the ports   
attacked).  
  
And to round everything off nicely, MacDougall had somehow uploaded a virus into   
the Outlaw Star that effectively off-lined Gilliam. Permanently.  
  
//Why does everything have to crash down on us at one damned time?// Gene griped   
mentally, knowing full well that Jim and Melfina were tired of listening to his   
complaining. Besides, even if he *had* spoken aloud, it would have been drowned   
out by his *other* problem.  
  
"Aw, c'mon, Suzu! You really need to lighten up a little bit, have fun!"  
  
"I told you *not* to call me that. And you could stand to be a bit more   
serious."  
  
"Phhhht!"  
  
"--and more lady-like."  
  
Gene barely suppressed a sigh. Ever since Suzuka and Aisha had started 'dating'   
(for lack of a better word), they argued even more than they had *before*. And,   
of course, each woman expected Gene to side with her. Melfina was sympathetic   
at best, but she couldn't do any more to stop the couple's bickering than the   
redhead could.  
  
Choosing to ignore them (and hope that they would take the hint and go to their   
room to finish the 'discussion'), he turned to Jim and asked, "So what are our   
options?"  
  
"We really don't have a whole lot, Gene," the teen replied, shooting a glare at   
Suzuka and Aisha for good measure; he, too, was fed up with their squabbling.   
"Our only options are to have the entire mainframe reconstructed, possibly   
losing everything we've got on file for the past year and a half, or we can   
install the mainframe from a similar ship and hope that the systems are   
compatible." [1]  
  
"That might be the only real option we have," Melfina added, eyes concerned.   
"It would take us out of action for a long time if we were to start from   
scratch."  
  
"Well, that's settled, at least," Gene agreed. "But where are we going to find   
a ghost ship with a system compatible to the Outlaw Star?"  
  
A knock on the door interrupted anything that Jim may have said, as well as   
effectively shutting up Suzuka and Aisha for the moment. The young woman who   
co-owned the repair shop peered into the room and offered a small smile. "I   
overheard you saying you were looking for a new mainframe," she said softly.   
"Enmi may have found a system that could work, if you're interested." [2]  
  
No further discussion was needed. Tiamar barely had the words out before Gene   
was ushering her back to the hanger where the newly found ship was being stored.   
The little blond didn't really mind, though; she lived with a temperamental   
redhead, after all, and knew what she was getting into by informing the crew of   
the Outlaw Star about this development.  
  
"It was brought in a few hours ago," she said, running one hand through her   
short tousled hair, "drifting in space about a thousand kilometers from here.   
From what the towship captain could tell us, it appears that the ship was   
abandoned several months ago and left running on manual."  
  
"Manual?" Melfina repeated, confusion lighting her brown eyes. "Why would   
anyone abandon a ship and leave it on manual? Wouldn't they just completely   
shut down or something?"  
  
"In most cases," the blond agreed. "Enmi-kun is still trying to re-activate the   
mainframe, but it appears to be intact."  
  
Gene was about to ask if there may have been some viral problem with the   
computer, but the words froze in his throat the second he set eyes on the ship.   
Melfina and Jim reacted in a similar manner, both freezing midstep and staring;   
Aisha's reaction was much more vocal.  
  
"Hey! Isn't that the Shangri-La?!"  
  
By this time, Enmi had joined the group to see what had stunned three of the   
five into silence and--of course--heard the Ctarl-Ctarl warrior's comment. [3]   
He quirked an eyebrow before turning to regard the ship once more. "So this is   
the Shangri-La," he mused. "People had said MacDougall abandoned it; guess I   
should listen to gossip a bit more often, ne, kitten?"  
  
Tiamar snorted slightly: "No way, partner, that's *my* job in this outfit!   
Well, that and upgrading computer systems." She sighed and shook her head. "I   
can't believe that anyone would abandon a magnificent ship like this one!"  
  
"Believe it," Jim said, finally finding his voice again. "MacDougall's   
apparently using another one now, although I can understand him not wanting to   
keep this one anymore. After Harry died and all...."  
  
At his friend's words, Gene felt an unexpected pang of loss and regret. It   
unnerved him in a way. After all, he would be the first to admit that he and   
the MacDougall Brothers were rivals from the start, but still... it was a shame   
for anyone as young as Harry had been to die in the manner he had.  
  
Tiamar sighed and got a far-away look in her eyes. "He was so young and good-  
looking, too. It's a shame, really."  
  
Suzuka nodded in agreement. "Death should not claim the young."  
  
The blond looked at the assassin as if she was insane. "That too, but I meant   
the fact that he was gay!" [4]  
  
"You're kidding," Jim said, adding uncertainly, "right?"  
  
Tiamar shook her head. "Nope, he was gay. I know, I can spot a gay guy a mile   
away!" As she spoke, her gaze lingered on Gene for a fraction of a second   
before she returned full attention to the group. "Besides, I was there when Ron   
nearly beat the hell outta the kid because of some guy he had a crush on. If   
not for Enmi here, I would have gotten arrested for kicking Big Brother's ass   
over it!!"  
  
Enmi shook his head and shrugged, knowing full well that the blond almost *did*   
get arrested for her role in breaking up the fight. Aisha's ears perked up as   
Tiamar spoke. "They actually had a fight here?!" she said, very interested in   
knowing more. "Did you hear who the guy was?"  
  
"Aisha..."  
  
"Mrrow, I'm just being curious, Suzu! You can't tell me you aren't intrigued,   
too, you have that gleam in you eyes!"  
  
Tiamar simply smiled and leaned down to pick up her toolbox. "I sorta told   
Harry that I wouldn't tell when I was patching him up," she said nonchalantly.   
"At least, I wouldn't tell anyone *but* the guy he liked and only *after* his   
death. Of course," she added, eyes lowered sadly, "I don't think either one of   
us expected him to die so young."  
  
"Come on! Tell us!" Aisha yelped as Suzuka suddenly grabbed her by the arm and   
dragged her back in the direction of the hotel they were staying at. Apparently   
the assassin was finished with the conversation and decided that her lover was,   
too. Enmi chuckled at the pair and turned to head back into his office.  
  
"Hey, Jim," he said, "I'm having a little trouble getting the mainframe computer   
back online. You wanna take a shot at it?"  
  
"Sure!" the teen exclaimed, leaping at any opportunity to both help out and   
maybe to talk to Enmi's daughters Ama and Lora. [5] They were both *very* cute,   
and Lora actually seemed to like him too.  
  
"Maybe I should come along, too, and play chaperone," Melfina teased, smiling at   
the faint blush she managed to get from Jim for that comment.  
  
"Hey, the more the merrier, so long as we get this program decoded," the man   
said cheerfully. "Can you handle things here alone, kitten?"  
  
At Tiamar's absent wave--she was already starting to work on removing the   
Shangri-La's mainframe--Enmi, Jim and Melfina left. Gene remained still for a   
moment, then walked over to the blond-haired girl.  
  
"Hey, Tia." The girl glanced up from what she was doing, and the redhead   
decided that he should ask before he lost his nerve: "What exactly was that deal   
with you looking at me a few minutes ago?"  
  
Brown eyes sparkled. "Please, Gene, anyone can tell! When Jim mentioned Harry,   
you got this _look_... the only time I've seen anyone *that* forlorn is when   
they're thinking about a lost love." She smiled again as the young man's green   
eyes widened: "Hey, I can keep my secrets, kiddo. I won't tell a soul."  
  
"Well, you got it all wrong this time," Gene snapped, unwilling to acknowledge   
that, in fact, she had him dead to rights. "Harry MacDougall was an opponent,   
and while it's a shame he's gone now, I could have cared less about him unless   
he was directly in the way of me getting what I wanted."  
  
He turned and began to storm out of the hanger, only to freeze at Tiamar's next   
words:  
  
"Oh? Then I guess you won't be interested to know that the guy Ron beat him up   
over was you."  
  
  
o.w.a.r.i.p.a.r.t.o.n.e.  
  
  
[1] Yes, Ryoko has a plot point. Shocking, isn't it?  
  
[2] Well, Tiamar and Enmi make another appearance in a fanfic! For those who   
don't know, Tiamar and Enmi are characters created for the gw_yaoi-rpg that   
represent Enigma and myself. Here, though, they are simply my avatars.  
  
[3] So did everyone else on the station!  
  
[4] Yes, I love dropping bombshells. Why do you ask?  
  
[5] Ama and Lora really are based on Eni-kun's chibis. And yet again, the names   
here are a play on their real names, Amanda and Lauren.  
  
(8:52 PM 4/3/01) 


	3. Chapter Two

Title: A Human Heart  
Author: Ryoko 03  
Started: March/April 2001  
Status: Part 2/?  
  
Disclaimers and warnings posted in Part Prologue.  
  
+blah+ = recorded voices and/or sounds  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
A Human Heart  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Oh? Then I guess you won't be interested to know that the guy Ron beat him up   
over was you."  
  
Gene froze at the words, finding it very difficult to breathe. When Tiamar had   
nonchalantly spoken, his thoughts had suddenly shifted back to just before the   
Heyfong Space Race. That was about the closest he had *ever* gotten to Harry   
MacDougall, and was in fact the only time he had even *touched* the construct.   
Why that memory stuck with him, though, had been a mystery to him.  
  
Until the little blond had shattered his world with a mere twenty words.  
  
He turned and stared at Tiamar, who was nearly finished extracting the mainframe   
unit from the Shangri-La. Several questions ran through his mind, yet he found   
himself unable to voice any of them:  
  
//What does she mean, Harry got beat up because of me? The guy means--*meant*--  
absolutely *nothing* to me! He wasn't even human, for God's sake! So why am I   
still standing here? Why am I angry that I didn't know and angry that I *do*   
know now? What the hell is happening to me?!//  
  
"Huh, that's odd...."  
  
Tiamar's curious tone drew him from his thoughts, and Gene found himself moving   
across the hanger to see what had caught the blond's attention. She was now   
seated on the ground, frowning at the mainframe central core that she had   
removed from the ghost ship.  
  
"What's odd?" he asked, trying to get his mind off the questions he, as yet, had   
no answers for. "Is something wrong with the mainframe?"  
  
"No, just the opposite," Tiamar said, still frowning. "In fact, I would say   
that the system is active and has been for some time. Heh, it's probably   
recorded everything that's been said in here for the past couple of hours!" [1]  
  
"Really? Then why hasn't it responded to any commands?"  
  
The blond looked at Gene as if he'd just fallen off the wagon, which actually   
wasn't too far from the truth at the moment. "Because, if you'll remember, the   
Shangri-La was left in *manual override*. Even with the mainframe recording and   
active, there's no way it can function independently if the system doesn't have   
access to the controls."  
  
"Um... yeah, I knew that...."  
  
"Uh-huh." The blond heaved a sigh and offered a gentle smile. "Hey, this is   
boring work, kiddo, why don't you go ahead and take off? Take in the sights,   
catch a movie... enjoy yourself for the next few hours. You all are probably   
heading out once the XGP is back in action, so why not enjoy your 'vacation'?   
If nothing else," she concluded with a wink, "you'll be able to avoid Suzuka and   
Aisha for a while!"  
  
"Thanks, Tia," the redhead said, still curious as to *why* the ship had been   
left in manual to begin with. "I'll catch you later."  
  
"Ja ne!" Tiamar replied cheerfully, then frowned at the unit in her hands again.   
She really did have a lot of work to do; it was time to get her hands dirty.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Several hours and a couple of bars later, Gene was no closer to figuring out   
just why Tiamar's revelation had effected him so much but was working on a nice   
buzz. [2] He sat alone at a corner table, keeping one eye on the door as he'd   
gotten into the habit of doing after Ron MacDougall had reappeared, and frowned   
slightly as he nursed his beer.  
  
//Okay, I will admit he was cute,// he finally decided mentally. //Cute is an   
understatement, he was HOT. If I were female, I'd say he was sex on legs. [3]   
But if what Tia said was the truth--and in the time I've known her she has yet   
to lie to me--then no girl had a chance at getting his attention.//  
  
"Anything else, sugar?"  
  
"Another one of these," Gene told the waitress, who flashed him a megawatt smile   
and sashayed off to get him a fresh beer, before returning to his thoughts.  
  
//Okay, so Tiamar claims that Harry held no interest in women. So, why was he   
so fixated on Melfina? It makes no sense... unless....//  
  
The blond woman had said the construct boi had been beaten--and badly--by Ron   
because he had expressed an interest in a *male*. Was it possible that,   
perhaps, Harry had transferred his... interest... in Gene to a *female* that was   
close to him in order to remain in his brother's favor?  
  
Gene shook his head and stood up, leaving the bar just as the waitress returned   
to his table. Drinking hadn't helped to clear his thoughts, only muddling them   
even more and making him think about issues he would rather ignore. With a   
sigh, he headed back in the direction of the hanger.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Sensing that something around him was... different, Harry let himself be drawn   
forward from the recesses of the mainframe unit where he had been, for all   
intents and purposes, sleeping for the past five and a half months. As he   
'moved', he reached out around himself and was surprised to find that the ship   
size seemed to have increased a bit.  
  
And that his recording sensors had been active for the past three or four hours.  
  
Curious now as to his whereabouts--he knew without question that he was no   
longer adrift--Harry accessed the logs and listened to the voices, all of which   
he recognized within microseconds:  
  
+...left out there for months! What kind of idiot would THINK to abandon a   
gorgeous ship like this!+  
  
+Calm, kitten. It's not a crime....+  
  
+It should be, damn it!+  
  
//Tiamar... and Enmi... met them at Five-Thirty-Five [4] a couple years back...   
hell, Tia damn near broke Ron's nose. But... how come I recorded their voices?   
Am I back on Five-Thirty-Five?// Harry's confusion grew as he listened more:  
  
+...reactivate the mainframe, but it appears to be intact.+  
  
+Hey! Isn't that the Shangri-La?!+  
  
+So this is the Shangri-La. People had said MacDougall abandoned it; guess I   
should listen to gossip a bit more often, ne, kitten?+  
  
//Clan-Clan? Why is she here? Does that mean... oh god....// Quickly   
scanning, he froze as he locked on one particular voice, the very one he'd been   
hoping to NOT hear.  
  
+Hey, Tia. What exactly was that deal with you looking at me a few minutes ago?+  
  
//If there's a God, he's laughing his ass off right now....// [5]  
  
+Please, Gene, anyone can tell! When Jim mentioned Harry, you got this   
_look_... the only time I've seen anyone *that* forlorn is when they're thinking   
about a lost love. Hey, I can keep my secrets, kiddo. I won't tell a soul.+  
  
+Well, you got it all wrong this time. Harry MacDougall was an opponent, and   
while it's a shame he's gone now, I could have cared less about him unless he   
was directly in the way of me getting what I wanted.+  
  
Harry felt something within him break as he listened to Gene's recorded words,   
unmindful of the fact that he was no more than data in a computer at this point.   
Gene's words hurt, cutting him to the core. Not bothering to listen to the rest   
of the recorded words, he retreated back within himself.  
  
He never even noticed that he was now linked directly into the XGP.  
  
  
o.w.a.r.i.p.a.r.t.t.w.o.  
  
  
[1] Why, so it has! *evil neko grin*  
  
[2] Okay, VERY brief public service announcement: Drinking does *not* help solve   
any problems. Trust a gal who's been there and done that. Now back to our   
regularly scheduled fanfic.  
  
[3] And that is my honest assessment of one Harry MacDougall =^_^=.v  
  
[4] *snickers* Before anyone asks, this is a homage to one of my favorite GW   
pairings. Three guesses on which pairing, and you really won't need the first   
two!  
  
[5] This was gleaned from an online RPG session between Becka and me for another   
fandom. Thanks, B! Love ya, muah!  
  
(10:26 PM 4/11/01) 


	4. Chapter Three

Title: A Human Heart  
Author: Ryoko 03  
Started: March/April 2001  
Status: Part 3/?  
  
Disclaimers and warnings posted in Part Prologue.  
  
~*~blah~*~ = dreams/memories  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
A Human Heart  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
When Gene finally arrived back at EnTee's Repair and Maintenance (originally   
Enmi's but changed after Tiamar joined him in the business), he was hoping that   
Tiamar was finished installing the new mainframe and that they could go. Hell,   
he was already having doubts about his sexual preferences--women just didn't   
hold his interest anymore--and now that he knew Harry McDougall had been   
interested in him, his doubts were more pronounced.  
  
"--should be fully functional now."  
  
"Thanks, Tiamar. This would have taken forever if you hadn't been helping."  
  
"Oi, oi, flattery will get you nowhere with me, James Hawking. I'm a married   
woman," Tiamar teased in reply. Judging from the laughter that followed, Jim   
was blushing.  
  
//Good, we can leave,// Gene thought, then slumped against the wall as the world   
decided to start spinning. //...maybe after I get a few hours' sleep... note to   
self, binge drinking is not a valid problem-solving method.//  
  
"Gene?"  
  
The redhead lifted his head and came face to face with Enmi. The older man had   
noticed Gene stagger in and had gone to check on his condition. Tiamar,   
Melfina, and Suzuka watched the pair from across the room; Aisha and Jim either   
hadn't noticed or were too busy arguing with one another.  
  
"Hey," Gene said with a weak grin. "Did Tia get the system uploaded?"  
  
"Yes, she did," the older redhead said, frowning slightly, "but I think you   
should probably get some sleep before you try to head out. Judging from your   
appearance, I'd say you've hit one too many bars tonight."  
  
The young outlaw pulled himself up as if he were about to protest, only to slump   
back down as the ground became wobbly. [1] "'kay," he said quietly, allowing   
himself to be led into Enmi's office. Once again he wondered exactly why the   
older red-haired man kept a foldout bed in his office, then he glanced over at   
the slender blond and decided that he really didn't wanna know.  
  
//With that woman's temper, it's probably a good idea to have a spare place to   
sleep, just in case...// he decided. [2]  
  
"Don't worry about a thing, Gene," Melfina reassured him, smiling gently even   
though she was going to have yet *another* long talk with her friend about his   
drinking habits. "I can go ahead and do a final systems check while you rest,   
so we'll leave whenever you wake up, okay?"  
  
Gene nodded slightly, instantly regretting the action. His last thought before   
he passed out was, //Mel sounds annoyed... I'm a dead man....//  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
~*~ "Listen..."  
  
All eyes turned to Aisha, who had her head tilted to one side as the Outlaw Star   
headed away from the Galactic Leyline. The Ctarl-Ctarl warrior blinked, then   
spoke softly again:  
  
"Someone's singing... whoever it is... sounds sad...."  
  
Gene opened his mouth to rebuff the feline alien when suddenly, he could hear it   
clearly as well:  
  
'Nanigenai kono omoi...'  
  
//Mel's song... I recognize it... but who...?//  
  
'Nee hito wa donna kotoba de yonde iru no?'  
  
Aisha's eye shimmered with unshed tears, and Gene could only listen to the voice   
singing from somewhere outside. It was a soft alto... a masculine voice... but   
young... too young to know so much sorrow.  
  
'Shinoi suna no tsuki toji kometa hanashi wo... hikari furasu yo ni kikasete ne   
sotto.' [3]  
  
The Ctarl-Ctarl sighed softly and shook her head to clear the song out of her   
head, but Gene remained still. He could hear a soft sigh, followed by words   
that, in all honesty, he should never have been able to hear:  
  
'Sayonara, minna-sama.'  
  
//...Harry MacDougall....//  
  
*flash*  
  
The red-haired rogue suddenly found himself in a field. Looking around, he   
almost recognized it... it seemed like the field he had been in while 'dead'   
within the Leyline itself.  
  
And, as he turned, he realized that he wasn't alone.  
  
Standing by the edge of a cliff, aqua hair falling loose around slim shoulders,   
the younger MacDougall brother stood in silence. His face was tilted towards   
the sky, as if he were absorbing the sunlight, a slight smile upon his lips.   
His hands were clasped before him, giving the younger man an air of near-  
innocence.  
  
Gene took a step forward, some part of him wanting to reach out and make sure   
that the vision before him was real. As he moved, a voice spoke. Oddly enough,   
or perhaps not, it sounded like a strange combination of Harry's and Melfina's   
voices, and it came from all around:  
  
"What is thy desire?"  
  
The man by the cliff lowered his face and opened his eyes, causing Gene to draw   
a shocked breath. The violet eyes that should have reflected a myriad of   
confused emotion were shockingly blank. The voice spoke again, this time from   
Harry.  
  
"Thou who seeks the chosen... what is thy desire?"  
  
"Chosen?"  
  
As he spoke, life briefly flashed in Harry MacDougall's eyes. Confusion and   
sorrow mixed together, and when he spoke this time, it was not the Leyline that   
spoke: "Find me." ~*~  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Melfina paced the room, wringing her hands together as she thought about how   
best to break this news to the crew of the Outlaw Star. The very last thing she   
would have expected when she began the system's scan was to find that Harry   
MacDougall had taken up residence in the mainframe. And she was even more   
stunned to learn that he *was* the Shangri-La's mainframe.  
  
She knew that he had been an enemy, but in the end of his life he had proven to   
be more of an ally of sorts. The memory of his 'death' had been enough to give   
her nightmares, despite the fact that she normally didn't even dream.  
  
So when she found him curled up in a small portion of the mainframe core, Mel   
had been torn between being ecstatic that her friend was alive--sort of--and   
being suspicious that he was there in the first place.  
  
But the Harry that she'd found within the cyberspace of the XGP was a far cry   
from the Harry she had known before. This new Harry was a bit on the skittish   
side, and seemed to fear being left alone above all other things. He had been   
'listening' to the conversations that had been recorded earlier in the day, and   
seemed to be on the verge of tears when she found him.  
  
His pleas for her to not leave him alone again sang in her mind like a familiar   
song, and she already knew that she was *not* going to let that dear child   
suffer any more. After all, his own family had abandoned him, and it broke her   
heart.  
  
//Ron MacDougall is a low-life bastard,// she decided, ceasing her circuit   
around the room and settling into a chair instead. //No one should abandon   
family like that, yet he didn't seem to think twice because he was more focused   
on defeating Gene. No, it's wrong for family to abandon one another. From now   
on, Harry is *my* otouto, and anyone who tries to harm him will answer to   
*me*.//  
  
This decided, the bio-android settled back to wait for Gene to awaken and for   
Suzuka and Aisha to return. Once they were all together, she would reveal her   
discovery and her decision.  
  
  
o.w.a.r.i.p.a.r.t.t.h.r.e.e.  
  
  
[1] Nope, it's not because he's drunk, uh-uh, that couldn't be it....  
  
[2] ...um, yeah... sure... that's why he has it... *snickers and decides she's a   
bit too hentai at the moment*  
  
[3] Gee, anyone think kitty girl here LIKES the song "Hiru no Tsuki"?  
  
(10:22 PM 5/1/01) 


	5. Chapter Four

Title: A Human Heart  
Author: Ryoko 03  
Started: April/May 2001  
Status: Part 4/?  
  
Disclaimers and warnings posted in Part Prologue.  
  
+blah+ = recorded voices and/or sounds  
~*~blah~*~ = dreams/memories  
~blah~ = dream flashbacks  
=blah= = Harry and/or Melfina 'speaking' (interface)  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
A Human Heart  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
+Well, you got it all wrong this time. Harry MacDougall was an opponent, and   
while it's a shame he's gone now, I could have cared less about him unless he   
was directly in the way of me getting what I wanted.+  
  
+Oh? Then I guess you won't be interested to know that the guy Ron beat him up over was you.+  
  
Stop. Replay. Stop. Replay.  
  
Harry had played over this section again and again, growing more upset with each   
playback. Yes, he had known that there was no way in hell that Gene Starwind   
would ever harbor any affection towards him. Yes, he had known that it was   
foolish to reveal that he felt anything besides hatred towards the rogue. But   
he'd needed to tell someone who wouldn't beat him within an inch of his life for   
it, even if it was a woman he'd just met.  
  
And now, he knew what Gene thought of him. In the man's own words.  
  
+I could have cared less about him unless he was directly in the way of me   
getting what I wanted.+  
  
Stop. Play.  
  
+I could have cared less about him.+  
  
Stop. Play.  
  
+I could have cared less.+  
  
//No,// Harry thought sadly, curling up into himself even more, //you couldn't   
possibly care any less.//  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Gene sat up abruptly as he awoke, barely stopping himself before he spoke to the   
dream image he'd just been staring at microseconds before. He blinked a few   
times, trying to remember where the hell he was when he heard familiar voices   
from close by:  
  
"I'm sure he'll be waking soon, Melfina. I've been there and done that, and I   
got chewed out about it once I sobered up, too."  
  
"Damn straight! You're old enough to know better!"  
  
"I hope he's all right. He looked worse than usual after a binge...."  
  
"You know Gene, he'll just shrug it all off and pretend to listen when you   
lecture him... again." [1]  
  
//Sounds like everyone's here except for Aisha and Suzuka. Or they aren't   
arguing for a change, thank God.//  
  
Groaning, he hauled himself off the bed and made his way to the window. He   
opened it and leaned against the screen, closing his eyes as the words in his   
dream came back to haunt him.  
  
~What is thy desire?~  
  
//I don't know.//  
  
~Thou who seeks the chosen... what is thy desire?~  
  
//I. Don't. Know.//  
  
~Find me.~  
  
//How?//  
  
~What is thy desire?... Thou who seeks the chosen.... Find me.... What is thy   
desire?~  
  
Gene's eyes snapped open as he repeated the words out loud. "Thou who seeks...   
find me... am I supposed to... what? Find him? Where do I even start? He's   
dead."  
  
~Find me.~  
  
"Gene?"  
  
The redhead bit back a startled yelp and turned around to see that Aisha had   
slipped in the room and was blinking at him curiously. A long forgotten phrase   
about curiosity and the effect it had on cats flitted through his mind briefly [2],   
then he offered a small grin.  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"Are you okay? You looked kinda like you were trying to figure something   
out...?"  
  
The outlaw nodded and turned his attention back to the window. "Yeah, I'm   
fine," he replied, declining to answer her other question. "I'm just ready to   
leave, that's all."  
  
"Um, about that...."  
  
Gene turned back around, surprised to find that the Ctarl-Ctarl was playing with   
the ends of her hair in what could only be described as a nervous manner. She   
cleared her throat a couple of times before blurting out, "Melfina said we   
couldn't leave until she talked with all of us, so could you come out here? I'm   
bored and Suzu isn't exactly speaking to me at the moment...."  
  
//*That's* why it's so quiet,// Gene thought, replying, "I was on my way there.   
Give me a couple of minutes, ne?"  
  
Aisha nodded, then turned and darted back out of the room before the young man   
had even reached for his shirt. Almost instantly, he could hear her pleading   
with Suzuka to say something, even scold her, but to no avail.  
  
Gene's thoughts were elsewhere, although he would later wonder just what the   
women were fighting about *this* time.  
  
//How am I supposed to find you, Harry? You're dead; even if you somehow   
survived, you would have been lost to us when the Leyline--//  
  
He paused mid-step, eyes widening. The Leyline.... In the dream, Harry had   
spoken in his own voice and Melfina's....  
  
No, that was wrong. He'd spoken with the voice of the Leyline.  
  
In a sense, he *was* the Leyline.  
  
~Find me.~  
  
Gene swallowed hard, then nodded to himself and continued out of the room. It   
was time to seek out the Galactic Leyline once more. Maybe then, his questions   
would be answered. [3]  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Welcome back to the land of the living," Tiamar quipped instantly. Her   
expression immediately set Gene on alert; the seriousness of her face made it   
clear that something was going on, and that it was no joking matter.  
  
"What's up?" he asked, leaning against the wall and running a hand through his   
hair. It was still too short for his taste, but had never grown out the way he   
preferred after his brief stint in lock-up. [4] But at least it wasn't buzzed   
anymore....  
  
Suzuka remained silent, but she was keeping an eye on the Ctarl-Ctarl covertly.   
Whatever they were arguing about now, it apparently wasn't so bad that the   
assassin would cease to 'protect' her lover. Then again, that may have been   
what they were fighting about--Aisha felt she could look out for herself, Suzuka   
thought differently.  
  
Jim was seated on the floor by the desk, Aisha seated beside him. Their odd   
brother-sister relationship had become more apparent over the past year,   
especially during one of the women's frequent spats. If the warrior needed   
someone to talk to or simply a shoulder to cry on, Jim was there. And if Jim   
needed advice on anything, he turned to Aisha. Gene was of the mind that if   
Suzuka wasn't around or if--gods forbid--anything were to happen that ended the   
assassin's life, then the relationship between the two friends would become less   
platonic and more romantic despite the age difference.  
  
Melfina crossed her arms, leaning back in the desk chair and frowning slightly.   
It was obvious from her expression that there was something major on her mind,   
which was confirmed when she began to speak:  
  
"I finished running the diagnostics on the Outlaw Star's new mainframe.   
Everything seems to be running smoothly, and we can leave anytime. However,"   
she paused, then continued as her brow furrowed slightly, "there is one minor   
detail that will be impossible to overlook."  
  
"What's that?" Jim asked, blue eyes curious. Aisha toyed with the end of her   
hair and blinked at Mel questioningly, while Suzuka remained silent but moved   
three steps closer to the beast-girl.  
  
The bio-android's brown eyes seemed to sadden for a brief instant before she   
replied. "Apparently before entering the Leyline, Harry MacDougall downloaded a   
copy of himself into the Shangri-La's computer system. As we all know, he never   
made it out... but the ship did."  
  
"So there is a copy of the younger MacDougall in the Outlaw Star's new   
mainframe?" Suzuka asked, onyx eyes reflecting mild surprise but not shock.   
After all, she'd suspected as much.  
  
Melfina shook her head. "When he downloaded the copy into the ship's systems,   
that program become the mainframe. Harry isn't just *in* the mainframe, he *is*   
the mainframe."  
  
"What?"  
  
Every eye turned to Gene. The redhead didn't even seem to notice; his thoughts   
had instantly tracked back to his dream, where the sad-eyed construct had   
practically begged Gene to find him. If the backup copy of Harry's personality   
was running the XGP's systems, then what did that dream about the Leyline mean?   
Was it a message to locate the body and somehow rejoin the two? And if Harry's   
body was in the Leyline then wouldn't his soul and mind be as well?  
  
"Mrrow, wouldn't that cause some problems down the line?" Aisha asked, blinking   
huge blue-green eyes. Mel shook her head, slight frown still in place as she   
tried to figure out Gene's reaction. He didn't sound angry or upset, but   
neither did he sound exactly thrilled with the concept.  
  
"I don't think so," she said softy, watching the redhead for some sort of   
reaction. "I actually talked to him. He... well, he was very confused and   
frightened. He was listening to some of the audio recordings from the past   
day or so, and something in the files was making him distraught. I don't know   
what was recorded, but he seemed on the verge of panic. I don't think we'll   
have any problems. Besides," she added, brown eyes suddenly hard and serious,   
"I refuse to leave him behind. I think of that child as my brother, and if   
anyone doesn't like the idea of him being around, then don't be surprised if I   
physically throw you off the ship."  
  
She was about to add, "and that goes for you, too, Gene," when she looked up and   
took note of the expression on the green-eyed man's face. There was something   
secretive there, with a touch of sadness and regret. She was stunned to see a   
determination similar to her own as well.  
  
"If she doesn't throw you off, I will," he said, voice betraying nothing of the   
turmoil in his heart--joy that the young man was alive after all; guilt over the   
words he'd spoken a day earlier in the hanger; sorrow that the boi was positive   
that he would be abandoned for a second time. "No one gets left behind, be they   
human or alien or mechanical."  
  
//Besides,// he added silently, //I already told him I'd find him. I want to   
find *all* of him--the vision that haunts my dreams as well as the part that   
holds all his memories. I don't want him to suffer any more.//  
  
What he didn't realize was, he'd already been in love with the constructed   
bishounen. Nor did he realize that he was falling in love all over again.  
  
  
o.w.a.r.i.p.a.r.t.f.o.u.r.  
  
  
[1] Just to clear up confusion, here is a short guide of just who is speaking   
when up here: Enmi, then Tiamar, then a worried Melfina, and finally Jim.   
Suzuka and Aisha are being oddly quiet this time around...   
  
[2] If anyone doesn't know the phrase, here it is: Curiosity killed the cat;   
satisfaction brought him back. And yes, I am a fount of worthless knowledge   
=^_^=  
  
[3] For those who forgot what questions Tiamar's revelation brought to Gene's   
mind, they are found in Part Two. Or, keep reading this footnote:  
  
What does she mean, Harry got beat up because of me? The guy means--  
*meant*--absolutely *nothing* to me! He wasn't even human, for God's  
sake! So why am I still standing here? Why am I angry that I didn't  
know and angry that I *do* know now? What the hell is happening to me?!  
  
[4] See, I remember that part from the last episode! *carefully stows her VCDs   
and grins innocently*  
  
(10:29 PM 5/17/01) 


	6. Chapter Five

Title: A Human Heart  
Author: Ryoko 03  
Started: May 2001  
Status: Part 5/?  
  
Disclaimers and warnings posted in Part Prologue.  
  
+blah+ = recorded voices and/or sounds  
~*~blah~*~ = dreams/memories  
~blah~ = dream flashbacks  
=blah= = Harry and/or Melfina 'speaking' (interface)  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
A Human Heart  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
=Harry?=  
  
=Hm?=  
  
=You're awfully quiet today. Something on your mind, sweetie?=  
  
Silence answered Melfina, and the bio-android frowned. It had been almost a   
week since they had left Five-Thirty-Five, and during that time Harry rarely   
'spoke'. Everyone had grown used to the relative silence from the   
construct/computer, but Gene seemed almost unnerved by... *something*. He   
hadn't been sleeping well at night, and tended to simply roam the corridors   
trying to draw Harry into conversation.  
  
But Harry always, *always* talked to Melfina. He mostly sought reassurance that   
he wouldn't be left behind, which the woman gave him willingly along with her   
solemn vow that she would always be there to take care of him. Today,   
though....  
  
Ever since they'd hit the Heyfong sector, Harry had been unnaturally quiet.   
Sure, he kept the crew up to date on their current bearings, but other than that   
he was mute.  
  
=...not really. Just wondering why we're out here. I haven't been here since   
the last space race, when--=  
  
He abruptly fell silent, slipping a bit away from Mel in the virtual setting of   
the XGP's computer systems. He'd been about to say, 'when I first bumped into   
Gene and fell head-over-feet in love with him, at which point my loving older   
brother beat the living hell out of me,' but that sounded like he was bitter.   
And he wasn't bitter.  
  
He was heartsick.  
  
=You're running away again.=  
  
=No offense, Gilliam, but fuck off.=  
  
The inactive system made a clicking noise. =Someone's touchy today.=  
  
Harry declined to answer. He had accidentally run across the dormant system   
while hiding away from Melfina one afternoon, and since then had struck up a   
friendship of sorts with the original mainframe computer system. However,   
though Gilliam was mostly inactive, he was still aware enough to note that the   
former-construct was distraught ninety-nine percent of the time and lonesome the   
other one percent.  
  
=Melfina's still talking to you. Aren't you going to answer?=  
  
=Yes, 'mother'.=  
  
The newer system heaved a mental sigh and slipped forward again. He didn't need   
Gilliam bitching at him right now, not as long as they were in the Heyfong   
sector anyway.  
  
=Harry? Daijoubu?=  
  
=...I'm fine, oneesan. Really.=  
  
Once again, Melfina frowned. She wasn't buying it, but she'd let it slide. For   
now.  
  
=All right. But if you note anything out of the ordinary--=  
  
=You'll be the first to know.= Then, so that the rest of the crew could hear,   
he added, =Estimated arrival time on Heyfong forty-seven minutes.=  
  
Aisha smiled, purring softly. "Great! I can't wait to go to that restaurant   
again!"  
  
"Didn't you get thrown out of there last time?" Jim asked, quirking an eyebrow.  
  
"Yeah, but it was all a misunderstanding...."  
  
"She didn't have any wong to pay," Suzuka explained, calmly sipping her tea. [1]   
This answer drew a chuckle from Jim and a death glare from Aisha; Gene didn't   
seem to notice.  
  
In all actuality, he hadn't. The redhead was trying to decipher the meaning   
behind Harry's odd behavior over the past several days. It wasn't unusual for   
him to be silent and to talk only to Melfina, but since they'd arrived in   
Heyfong the child barely 'spoke' at all.  
  
And although he felt distinctly guilty, Gene had his reasons for being in this   
sector. Somehow, he *knew* that the answers he sought could be found here, and   
here alone....  
  
=Gene?=  
  
The rogue jumped slightly at Melfina's 'voice', then turned and smiled slightly.   
"Hai, Mel?"  
  
=Are you okay?=  
  
A wan smile. "Yeah, I'm just thinking about something."  
  
"Perhaps you should get some rest," the assassin said from her post. "You   
haven't been sleeping lately, and if you plan on doing something while we're on   
Heyfong, you at least need the next forty-five minutes to relax."  
  
Gene wanted to protest, but his body argued that sleep was a good idea. So,   
rather than argue, he simply nodded and pulled himself to his feet.  
  
"You're right," he admitted. "I do have... something to take care of planet-  
side. If anything exciting happens, you know where to find me."  
  
Moments later, Gene Starwind collapsed into bed. He was asleep even before his   
head hit the pillow. [2]  
  
~*~*~  
  
~*~ Once more, he found himself standing in the all too familiar field. Once   
more, the object of his affection/attention stood by the cliff-side gazing   
skyward. Once again, the combined voices of Harry MacDougall and the Leyline   
spoke as one:  
  
"What is thy desire?"  
  
"I... I don't know." Gene was a bit surprised to find that he was able to   
answer this time.  
  
Harry pulled his gaze from the sky and stared blankly at the other man, eyes   
blank as they had been last time. He spoke again:  
  
"What is thy desire?"  
  
"I don't know," the redhead repeated, wanting to say... something else, but   
finding that he couldn't put it into words.  
  
"Please...."  
  
This time, Harry's voice came not from the figure before him, but from behind   
him. Gene whirled around, eyes widening in surprise as he took in the sight of   
the second Harry MacDougall.  
  
The younger man's face had unusual markings upon it, almost like wires and   
circuitry. Bathed in a bluish light, even his eyes were more of a blue-violet   
than amethyst, and he was clad in what appeared to be a form-fitting jumpsuit   
that had the same wired appearance as his face did. [3] And there was something   
in his eyes... a silent plea that made Gene's heart ache.  
  
The second Harry took a step towards Gene, one hand raised as if to touch him,   
then sighed and looked towards the ground. He spoke again, voice so soft that   
Gene barely heard him:  
  
"I'm always left alone...."  
  
//No...//  
  
"Thou who seeks the chosen... what is thy desire?"  
  
"I...."  
  
"I'm not even a whole being...."  
  
"What is thy desire?"  
  
The two Harrys stared at one another; one with empty violet eyes and one with   
pleading blue-violet orbs. Then, as Gene watched in silence, the second   
approached the first. Both stood silently, then, as if they were one entity,   
turned to face the silent redhead again.  
  
They spoke as one: "Find me."  
  
And then they vanished over the edge of the cliff. ~*~  
  
  
o.w.a.r.i.p.a.r.t.f.i.v.e.  
  
  
[1] Is it just me, or does "Twilight" Suzuka have a tea addiction?  
  
[2] *snicker* Yeah, that's me WAY too often!  
  
[3] In other words, Harry in data form. I have a couple good pictures, too, if   
anyone wants to take a look-see: http://www.geocities.com/ekitten3/ols/ols17-350.jpg   
(full body) and http://www.geocities.com/ekitten3/ols/ols17-355.jpg (facial)  
  
  
(3:59 PM 5/29/01) 


	7. Chapter Six

Title: A Human Heart  
Author: Ryoko 03  
Started: May 2001  
Status: Part 6/?  
  
Disclaimers and warnings posted in Part Prologue.  
  
+blah+ = recorded voices and/or sounds  
~*~blah~*~ = dreams/memories  
~blah~ = dream flashbacks  
=blah= = Harry and/or Melfina 'speaking' (interface)  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
A Human Heart  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"NO!"  
  
=Na... Gene? Daijoubu desu ka?=  
  
Gene took several gasping breaths, trying to figure out where the hell he was   
and just who was talking before realizing that, once again, he'd become   
entangled in a dream. And, for what seemed like the millionth time, it had been   
about the construct/computer that had asked if he was alright.  
  
He ran a shaky hand through his hair, grateful both for the fact that Harry was   
unable to see him and had merely heard the outburst, and that the young man was   
finally speaking to someone other than Melfina.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a nightmare."  
  
=i remember those.=  
  
The words were softly spoken, almost a whisper, as if he was nervous to be   
speaking to another living being other than his self-appointed sister. Gene   
quickly sought to reassure him; there was something in him that loved the sound   
of Harry's voice and wanted to hear it speak again.  
  
However, before he could say another word, Harry spoke up once more.  
  
=Oh, I almost forgot. We arrived planet-side about two minutes ago. I, um...   
thought you might want to know... or... something... gomen.=  
  
The redhead had to smile. The way the artificial boy had stumbled over the last   
part was just too cute for words.  
  
"Don't apologize," he said, rising from the bed and reaching for his shirt. "I   
have a few matters to attend to here, and the sooner I get started the better.   
Domo for waking me."  
  
=I didn't--=  
  
=He's giving you a compliment, idiot. Now shut up and be grateful.=  
  
=Get bent, Gilliam.= To Gene, he replied, =Do itashimashite.=  
  
~*~*~  
  
"So, what is it you want to know?" the young woman asked, quickly pocketing the   
thirty wong Gene had handed her. Although fairly young and attractive, she had   
a reputation for being the biggest brain this side of the Milky Way. She knew   
damned near everything a man could ever want to know. And, her information   
always came at a price.  
  
"I wanna know the location of the Galactic Leyline."  
  
The brunette ceased stirring her drink with the straw and blinked huge hazel   
eyes at the man as if he'd lost his mind. Then she smirked and returned her   
attention to the rum and coke before her. "That," she said coyly, "will cost   
you another fifteen wong."  
  
She was a bit surprised when Gene threw the requested amount onto the table.   
"Now, where is the Leyline now?"  
  
Sierra Evangeline's [1] pretty eyes narrowed. A year or two older than   
Starwind, she was well aware of his reputation. She also knew the rumor that he   
and his crew had gone into the Galactic Leyline and had come out intact.  
  
"Any special reason *why* you need to return to the Leyline, Mr. Starwind?"  
  
"If you must know, Ms. Evangeline," the young man replied, "I've been having   
dreams about it. Dreams that seem to tell me that someone was left behind who   
appeared dead but is in reality alive. I want to go back and get him the hell   
out of there."  
  
"Oh, you mean the younger MacDougall, don't you?" Sierra asked, tucking a strand   
of her long dark hair behind her ear.  
  
Green eyes widened marginally before he regained his composure. "How did you--"  
  
The woman smiled. "Everyone knows that none of the Kei pirates who entered the   
Leyline escaped. They also know that only one MacDougall brother escaped   
unscathed. And, since I'm sure that you as well as half the population of this   
sector would much rather leave the pirates to rot, that leaves only Harry   
MacDougall. Although," she added thoughtfully, "you don't strike me as the type   
of guy who would offer aid and comfort to an enemy."  
  
"Where is it?" Gene repeated, growing annoyed. He was not here to play Twenty   
Questions, damn it, he was here for information!  
  
Sierra once more focused on her drink. "The only one who knows *that* answer is   
you."  
  
"Look, if you didn't know--"  
  
Hazel eyes snapped up, flashing with both anger and amusement. "You are the   
only one who holds the key to that secret," she said, voice calm despite the   
fury in her gaze. "The Leyline itself is touching your mind, drawing you ever   
closer. Tell me, did you intend to come to Heyfong? Or did some instinct urge   
you to return?"  
  
"I..." the rogue said, the word trailing off. The truth was, he *hadn't*   
intended to go to Heyfong. Something in one of the dreams had convinced him   
that his answers lie there, but he never truly made a conscious decision to go   
back.  
  
The woman continued: "Do you actually see MacDougall in your dreams? Or do you   
just hear his voice? Is he alone, or are there other people around? Has he   
ever appeared in more than one form, and if so, did those parts ever make a   
whole? Only you know those answers, just as only you know how to find the   
Leyline again."  
  
She settled back in her chair once more, a slight smile on her lips. "Now   
then," she said in a calm tone, "if there was nothing else you needed from me,   
might I suggest you leave now? You appear to have grown a tail."  
  
//Nani?!// Gene turned slightly in the chair, muttering a curse under his   
breath as he spotted the last person he'd ever expect to see in the Heyfong   
sector at this point in time.  
  
Ron MacDougall.  
  
~*~*~  
  
=Careful. I don't have very much power left.=  
  
=Duh. Why else would I be gradually increasing your power supply?=  
  
=Why are you doing it in the first place?=  
  
Harry was uncertain of just how to answer that one. He was bored, and for that   
reason alone he had begun to increase the flow of power from the central core to   
Gilliam's energy reserves. Plus, he had the strangest feeling that there needed   
to be some form of backup system just in case he went off-line for a long period   
of time without warning.  
  
=Better safe than sorry,= he finally replied, increasing the flow of power   
slightly. =In case something happens that takes me out of commission--=  
  
=Understood.=  
  
Grateful that Gilliam wasn't going to press the issue, Harry fell silent and   
concentrated on the power transference, his own cryptic words echoing in his   
mind:  
  
'Better safe than sorry.' [2]  
  
  
o.w.a.r.i.p.a.r.t.s.i.x.  
  
  
[1] Sierra Evangeline's appearance is based upon my RL imouto-chan's. Sierra is   
one of her older screen names.  
  
[2] Yep, another spoiler warning! Very mild, but Kara has an evil streak a mile   
wide and is eagerly awaiting the chance to cause more trouble!  
  
(8:47 PM 6/22/01) 


	8. Chapter Seven

Title: A Human Heart  
Author: Ryoko 03  
Started: May 2001  
Status: Part 7/?  
  
Disclaimers and warnings posted in Part Prologue.  
  
+blah+ = recorded voices and/or sounds  
~*~blah~*~ = dreams/memories  
~blah~ = dream flashbacks  
=blah= = Harry/Melfina/Gilliam 'speaking' (interface)  
  
Additional Note: I've had a couple of complaints about the way Ron MacDougall is   
portrayed in this arc. Again I must state that this is what *might* have   
occurred after the final episode of the series aired. The reason he's kinda   
evil here is because I started writing after reading a fic called "Sins of the   
Brother" by MissFortune (http://missfortune.ma-at.net/osfics/brother.html). For   
my kinder, gentler Ron stories, check out "You Don't See Me"   
(http://www.geocities.com/ekitten3/ols/ols_you_dont_see_me.txt) and "Drops of   
Jupiter" (http://www.geocities.com/ekitten3/ols/drops_of_jupiter.txt).  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
A Human Heart  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
//If I were Starwind, where would I hide?//  
  
Ron MacDougall moved slowly through the crowded bar, eyes scanning every inch as   
he went. His sources in Heyfong had told him that Gene Starwind was seen in the   
area and had been asking about the Evangeline woman.  
  
"Looking for someone?" The golden-eyed man turned to look down at the woman   
who'd sidled up, smiling as if she had a few secrets she was willing to part   
with. Her dark hair was pulled back into an updo, a few strands falling loosely   
around her face, and her hazel eyes sparkled with a deviousness that only those   
in the information game had.  
  
"Perhaps I am," Ron complied, offering a small smile of his own. Perhaps he   
could charm the woman and locate Starwind without any effort whatsoever.  
  
The woman's smile became slightly devilish, and she took his arm. "Then perhaps   
we can do business," she purred. "Why don't you step into my office and I'll   
see what I can do for you. Eli! [1]" she called to the bartender. "Bring two   
of the usual to my table. I'm entertaining a potential client."  
  
As he was ushered to the corner table, Ron MacDougall began to realize that this   
might not be quite as easy as he had hoped.  
  
And he was so thoroughly distracted by the young woman's charms [2] that he   
never saw the tall blond bartender silently usher his quarry out into the night   
before bringing over the requested drinks.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Jim leaned back in his seat, stretching slightly as he sighed. Gene had been   
gone for a while now, Aisha and Suzuka had gone out for dinner, and Melfina was   
buying some much-needed supplies. The only company he had at the moment was   
Harry, and the computer had been silent for the past hour. From the readings   
Jim was picking up on the system's scan, it appeared that the former construct   
was transferring a portion of his power to a smaller system, possibly a backup.  
  
"Hey, Harry?" he asked aloud, hoping that the computer would answer; he still   
wasn't sure what to think of Harry, but he needed *someone* to talk to before he   
lost his mind. //It's times like this that I really miss Gilliam. I think he   
was my best friend.// [3]  
  
=Yeah?= Jim jumped slightly, not expecting Harry to answer so quickly.  
  
//Maybe he's lonely too,// the blond wondered, saying aloud, "How long do you   
think we'll be staying here? Gene said something about business, but I don't   
know what he was here for...."  
  
=I wish I knew,= the system replied. =He didn't say anything to me, really...   
although I guess that's my fault. I'm not exactly... um... sociable....=  
  
//Harry MacDougall, stammering? He *has* changed.//  
  
"Don't worry about it too much," Jim replied with a shrug. "I guess finding   
yourself in a foreign location would make anyone a little less talkative than   
they would normally be."  
  
=...can you keep a secret?=  
  
The question was unexpected, causing Jim to blink slowly before nodding. "Yeah,   
I can keep a secret. What's up, Harry?"  
  
=Yes, Harry, what are you up to?= Gilliam questioned deep within the mainframe   
operating system.  
  
Harry didn't answer for a moment, but when he did it seemed that he was speaking   
to both the teenager and the damaged system:  
  
=You've probably noticed that every time we stop for a while I transfer some of   
my power to another system. Apparently, Gilliam wasn't destroyed like you all   
thought. I've been rebuilding the files and power core in my spare time.=  
  
Jim was stunned; he had never even entertained the thought that his 'friend' was   
still retrievable. Now, though, he was confused.  
  
"Harry," he asked, "why are you rebuilding Gilliam's system? Are you planning   
on offlining?" That thought frightened the young blond; during the time that   
the crew had been searching for Gene's answers Jim had grown rather fond of the   
disembodied construct. He didn't want to think about how the others would react   
if Harry was suddenly just *gone*.  
  
=Iie= came the swift reply. =But I have a bad feeling that something is going   
to happen soon... I want to make sure that should something happen to me, you   
and the others will have a chance to escape.=  
  
=What do you mean?=  
  
"Harry? What do you mean, 'if something happens to me'?!"  
  
Harry didn't answer. Even he wasn't sure what he meant.  
  
  
o.w.a.r.i.p.a.r.t.s.e.v.e.n.  
  
  
[1] Eli! *hugs her tall blond bishie friend* Eli's one of my favorite   
co-workers/friends, and he's fun to hang around with! I only wish he'd been   
able to go to Kings Dominion with us as planned... *sigh*  
  
[2] LOL, my sister Sierra reappears! And yes, she is a complete charmer! I   
can SO see her doing this!  
  
[3] Hehehehe, don't have to miss Gilliam for too long!  
  
(2:47 PM 11/21/01) 


	9. Chapter Eight

Title: A Human Heart  
Author: Ryoko 03  
Started: January 2002  
Status: Part 8/?  
  
Disclaimers and warnings posted in Part Prologue.  
  
+blah+ = recorded voices and/or sounds  
~*~blah~*~ = dreams/memories  
~blah~ = dream flashbacks  
=blah= = Harry/Melfina/Gilliam 'speaking' (interface)  
  
Additional Notes: This has taken me forever. For some reason, I couldn't get past the dream sequence, and after literally months of trial and error I finally opted to post just the dream as Part 8. So, yeah, it's extremely short but now that this part is past I can focus on Part Nine--I'm not sure just yet if Gene is going to explain their departure from Heyfong Three or if my muses will just jump forward a bit.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
A Human Heart  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
~*~ "This is getting monotonous..." Gene grumbled to himself as he walked through the all-too-familiar field, already knowing that Harry would be standing at the edge of the cliff looking towards the sky.  
  
He had barely even stopped walking when the once-construct spoke in synch with the Leyline, "What is thy desire?"  
  
"I don't know," Gene said, hands clenching into fists. This had played out so many times now, and every time he'd been helpless to stop his--  
  
//longed-for lover? heart and soul?//  
  
--friend from vanishing over the edge and falling to what could only be his death.  
  
"What is thy desire?" Harry/the Leyline asked again; as he spoke, the redhead could see the second Harry approaching with his head down and his hair hiding his features.  
  
Gene opened his mouth, intending to repeat the same phrase he'd said over and over in this dream. What came out instead was:  
  
"You."  
  
The unfeeling violet eyes bore into his own, and he could feel the blue-violet burning into the back of his head; he didn't even need to turn in order to feel the shock and hope rolling from the younger man.  
  
"Gene...?"  
  
"The Leyline knows all."  
  
Gene tilted his head slightly, then nodded once and smirked in his devil-may-care manner. "Yeah, I know."  
  
For the first time ever, the Harry before him seemed more like the Harry he knew now. A very small smile flitted over his lips, eyes lighting for just a moment and taking on a bluish tint as the second Harry smoothly blended with him.  
  
"Find me?" This time it was a question, hope in his tone that tugged at the outlaw's heart.  
  
"You think I'm running around all over space looking for the Galactic Leyline for the hell of it? Damned straight I'll find you."  
  
Another real smile crossed the ex-construct's face. Then, to Gene's surprise, the aqua-tressed teen closed the short distance between them and kissed him.  
  
//Soft,// Gene thought, a shiver passing through him in the dream world. //I didn't think his mouth would be soft....//  
  
"Find me soon," Harry said, speaking alone for the first time. One pale hand came up to tease at cropped red hair, and an almost sad smile crossed his face. "Wake up." ~*~  
  
  
o.w.a.r.i.p.a.r.t.e.i.g.h.t.  
  
(10:15 PM 9/13/02) 


	10. Chapter Nine: Teaser, Incomplete

Title: A Human Heart  
Author: Ryoko 03  
Started: October 2002  
Status: Part 9/?  
  
Disclaimers and warnings posted in Part Prologue.  
  
+blah+ = recorded voices and/or sounds  
~*~blah~*~ = dreams/memories  
~blah~ = dream flashbacks  
=blah= = Harry/Melfina/Gilliam 'speaking' (interface)  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
A Human Heart  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
=Arrival in Sector 21 in approximately thirty seconds.= [1]  
  
"Thanks, Mel," Gene said in response. "Do we have a tail?"  
  
Harry answered: =One ship, unidentified, about a day and a half behind us.=  
  
"Could be MacDougall."  
  
Aisha shook her head, sending her braid flying up a bit. "If I were a gambling woman, even I wouldn't take you up on such an obvious bet, Jim! And a day and a half doesn't give us much time if he slips into hyperdrive...."  
  
"No." All eyes turned to Gene. "He won't pass us; he doesn't know *where* they Leyline is." The 'but we do, in a way' remained unspoken but understood. Shortly after their abrupt departure from Heyfong, the redhead finally revealed the strange truth to his crew. At first Aisha and Jim were skeptical, while Suzuka was oddly accepting. Over the course of the conversation, it was revealed that the samurai was a firm believer in the idea of dreams holding messages; it seemed to her that Gene was indeed supposed to seek out the Leyline and find out once and for all what had happened to Harry MacDougall.  
  
Of course, Harry had no qualms about going. Ron never did tell him what happened to his body; perhaps now he'd find the answer. [2]  
  
=Arriving in Sector 21... now.=  
  
Silence fell over the five people on the bridge as they took in the area before them; then:  
  
"Oh my gods and goddesses, we found it." [3]  
  
The Leyline looked just as the group remembered it, the only sign that it was situated elsewhere in space the star patterns surrounding the whirling mass. Gene closed his eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. Hopefully their luck would hold out and they'd be long gone before MacDougall got anywhere near them.  
  
"Mel, set coordinates for the center of the Leyline," he said as he opened his eyes again.  
  
=Already on it,= the bio-android replied; indeed the Outlaw Star was moving towards the Leyline even as she 'spoke.' =Hopefully I can guide us through like the last time.=  
  
=Hey! Don't forget I got through it the first time, too!= Harry chimed in, a light teasing tone in his 'voice'; apparently he was also relieved that they'd finally arrived.  
  
  
  
~*~*~  
  
  
[1] Gee, guess what my second favorite GW pairing is?  
  
[2] Oh, will he ever find out!  
  
[3] That's Aisha, if you were wondering... although it could easily be Suzuka if you prefer =^_^= 


End file.
